Detective Conan: The Crimson Love Letter opened in Japanese theaters on April 15. The film sold 987,568 tickets and earned 1,286,928,000 yen (about US$11.88 million) in its opening weekend, setting a new opening weekend record for the franchise. The film also topped the Japanese weekend box office chart.

The film willopen in Singapore on May 18, in Indonesia on June 7, in Malaysia on June 22, in the Philippines on July 12, and in Vietnam at a later date.

The film is a love story set in Osaka, and features Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama. The visual (pictured at right) shows Momiji Ōoka, a high school karuta champion who refers to Heiji as her future husband and is a romantic rival for Kazuha. She appears in the manga for the first time in the 91st compiled volume, which shipped on December 16 in Japan, and this film was her first anime appearance. Satsuki Yukino voiced the character. Kobun Shizuno, the director of the last six Detective Conan films, returned to direct the film at TMS and V1 Studio. Takeharu Sakurai also returned from earlier films to write the script based on Aoyama's story, and franchise composer Katsuo Ono again provided the music.
The following cast members from the television anime returned for the film: Minami Takayama as Conan Edogawa, Wakana Yamazaki as Ran Mōri, Rikiya Koyama as Kogorō Mōri, Ryo Horikawa as Heiji Hattori, Yuko Miyamura as Kazuha Toyama, andDaisuke Ono as Muga Iori.
The 20th film, Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare, opened in Japan in April 2016, and set a record high for the film franchise at the box office at the time

The official website for the Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry anime film began streaming a new promotional video for the film on Friday. The video highlights the show's action.

The film will open in Japan on May 6, and will also open in at least 16 countries besides Japan in May, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, nine countries in Central America and South America, Thailand, and France.
The cast includes:

The two-member unit Polka Dots is performing the film's theme song "What You Are." The duo is composed of i☆Ris member Himika Akaneya and Mimi Meme MIMI member Yuki Takao. Polka Dots previously performed an insert song for the Trinity Seven: Eternal Library & Alchemic Girl anime film.
Those who purchase advance tickets for the film in Japan will receive clear files with Mashima's special illustration of Natsu. Theaters showing the film will give viewers a free booklet while supplies last. The booklet contains the rough storyboards for the film that original manga creator Hiro Mashima drew. Mashima drew 193 pages of storyboard for the film, and is also serving as executive producer. Mashima also drew rough sketches for the characters and the key visuals for the film.
Starting in the movie's second week in Japan on May 13, each filmgoer will receive one of three randomly distributed character bromide photos of Natsu, Lucy, or Sonya, complete with a reproduced signature of the respective character's voice cast member

This year's June issue of Shogakukan's Shonen Sunday S magazine published the final chapter of Yutaka Abe and Jirō Maruden's manga adaptation of the Detective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital film based on Gosho Aoyama's Detective Conan (Case Closed) manga on Thursday.
Abe and Maruden launched the manga in September, and the first volume shipped on April 12. Kenji Kodama directed the Detective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital film in 2003, and Kazunari Kouchi wrote the screenplay.
The magazine also announced that two more Detective Conan manga will launch in the next issue on May 25. Abe and Maruden will pen one of the new manga, an adaptation of last year's Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare anime film. Kobun Shizuno directed the original film and Takeharu Sakurai wrote the script.
The second new manga, Detective Conan: Hannin no Hanzawa-san (Hanzawa-san the Criminal), stars the black-silhouetted "criminal" that appears in Detective Conan chapters to represent the mystery culprits. Mayuko Kanba is drawing the gag series.
The original Detective Conan manga has been running since 1996 and has spawned an ongoing anime series. The 21st film in the series, Meitantei Conan Kara Kurenai no Love Letter (Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter), opened earlier this month with the highest opening weekend record for the franchise. Aoyama's various manga series have a combined 200 million copies in print worldwide

Gosho Aoyama (Case Closed, Yaiba, Magic Kaito) has sold 200 million volumes of manga worldwide. Most of these are of his signature series, Case Closed, which is sold in 25 countries and has become one of the most well-known and popular manga. To celebrate the achievement, Aoyama has started a campaign to design witness characters for an upcoming mystery. The character designers will be whomever creates the most interesting faces on this website, which lets fans design a character in Aoyama's distinctive style with the click of a mouse.

Users can choose from a variety of face shapes, haircuts, eyes, eyebrows, noses, mouths, eyeglasses, and hats. Elements can be resized and shifted around the face too. There are over 138 billion possible different combinations. When users are done, they come up with a name, gender and age and send it off for consideration. The April 26 issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday also carries a password that can be entered to access parts of "that phantom thief (kaitō)."

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers original cast members David Yost (Billy/Blue Ranger) and Walter Jones (Zack/Black Ranger) shared their thoughts about Lionsgate's Power Rangers live-action film at the C2E2 convention in Chicago. The film, which opened in the U.S. in March, has taken home US$129.2 million, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its share of critics, Yost and Jones included.
The two original Rangers shared their disappointments about changes made in the film. Jones mentioned that his character's original brand of martial arts, "Hip Hop Kido," is missing.
"Hip Hop Kido was a really important element of who I was on Power Rangers." Jones said. "I think if they would have added that, then there could have been some parkour and there could have been so many other elements to that character that it would have been awesome."
Yost was less than enthused about the cast's delivery of the signature "It's Morphin' Time" phrase.
"[When] they morph they better bring it, and they better say 'It's Morphin' Time,'" he said. “When we said, 'It's Morphin' Time!,' it was like, 'Shit's about to go down;' when they said it in the movie it was so lackadaisical. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'"
Yost and Jones' cast mates Jason David Frank (Green Ranger) and Amy Jo Johnson (Pink Ranger) have cameos in the new film.
If you aren't a fan of the reboot, you could always check the alternative: Mighty Morphin' Meower Rangers.

The BBC have announced that Steven Moffat will be appearing at this year's Hay Festival, which takes place in Wales between 25th May and 4th June. The writer will be there to talk the craft of writing, with reference to his work on Doctor Who and Sherlock, and will feature on a BBC Radio 4 Front Row special to be recorded on the final Sunday.

In addition, the writer of this year's episode Knock Knock, Mike Bartlett will also be appearing at the festival, talking about his television adaptation of his Olivier Award-winning play King Charles III, and the challenges of writing for different mediums.

Full details about events and guests can be read in the press release below.

Read the press release:

The BBC and Hay Festival (25 May–4 June, 2017) today revealed plans for unparalleled coverage of this year’s event across television, radio and online with a plethora of star names in attendance including US senator Bernie Sanders, actor and writer Stephen Fry, Doctor Who and Sherlock producer and writer Steven Moffat, screenwriter Jimmy McGovern, playwright Mike Bartlett, comedian Simon Amstell and Radio 3 presenter Katie Derham.

Across TV and Radio, more than 25 BBC shows will be recorded on site – from BBC World News’ HARDtalk, Talking Books and Click to BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, Start the Week, and Broadcasting House, to BBC Radio 3, BBC Wales, and BBC Hereford and Worcester.

BBC World News’ HARDtalk will see special guest US senator Bernie Sanders interviewed by Stephen Sackur on stage; four sessions of its literary series Talking Books will be recorded with George Alagiah meeting Ahdaf Soueif and Elizabeth Strout, and Rebecca Jones in conversation with Tim Winton and Sebastian Barry; presenter Spencer Kelly showcases cutting-edge science in the flagship science and technology show Click; BBC World Service will record a special edition of The Arts Show; while Owen Sheers presents a special screening of BAFTA-nominated The Green Hollow, his film poem marking the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.

Meanwhile, BBC Arts Digital launches coverage of the opening weekend with two days of live streaming, which Stephen Fry kicks off with his digital reformation sparking a debate about the internet that everyone can join, while selective events will be available throughout the week on BBC iPlayer.

Additional events in the BBC Tent – open for booking from today – will offer an inside look at the latest BBC dramas and documentaries, including tips from some of our leading screenwriters, documentary makers and show runners.

Jonty Claypole, Director of Arts, BBC, commented: “In the BBC Tent at Hay Festival, audiences get unfettered access to important artists and broadcasters, emerging and established, as well as a chance to go behind the curtain to see how their favourite programmes are made. Giving books, storytelling and ideas a platform to reach audiences everywhere is something the BBC has always been committed to, so we’re delighted to partner with Hay Festival on such a rich and comprehensive range of programming – both on-site and on-air.”

Peter Florence, Director of Hay Festival, said: “For 30 years Hay Festival has brought readers and writers together to share stories and ideas, to imagine the world. Today, our partnership with the BBC enables these conversations to be heard globally – whether from our fields in Wales, or the beaches of Cartagena de Indias - giving everyone, everywhere, front-row seats."

Other BBC programme highlights at Hay Festival 2017 include:

BBC Radio 4 will broadcast four of its flagship programmes from the festival: John Wilson presents Front Row live with Pulitzer prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout on Friday 26 May; Samira Ahmed records a Front Row special with show Doctor Who and Sherlock producer and writer Steven Moffat on Sunday 4 June; Broadcasting House is live on Sunday 28 May; Tom Sutcliffe presents Start the Week live on Monday 29 May with award-winning authors Colm Tóibín, Sebastian Barry, Meg Rosoff and psychologist Jan Kizilhan. Meanwhile, Hari Kunzru talks to James Naughtie and an audience of keen readers for Book Club and Four Thought will be recorded in front of a live audience for later broadcast.

Radio 3 will be broadcasting “a week at Hay” from Monday 29 May to Sunday 3 June, with programmes every day across its schedule coming from the Festival. In a Hay-clusive, Radio 3 will bring a distinctive blend of 'slow radio’ to Hay audiences with a four-hour-long immersive broadcast of a walk from the Black Mountains to Hay with music, poetry and moments of reflection from writer Horatio Clare. The Sound Walk will be broadcast on Monday 29 May from 2-6pm and audiences will be able to listen to the broadcast by collecting headphones from the BBC Tent.

Five other Radio 3 shows – The Essay, The Verb, Free Thinking, The Listening Service, and In Tune –will record editions in front of live Festival audiences Clemency Burton-Hill presents a series of Lunchtime Recitals from St Mary’s Church, featuring performances from Adam Walker, James Baillieu, Federico Colli, The Amatis Trio, and Quator Voce. Katie Derham talks about her twin passions: dance and music, and how she’s combining these in a new six-part series for BBC Radio 3 called Sound of Dance. Free Thinking, BBC Radio 3’s Arts and Ideas programme, brings together Costa Book of the Year winner Sebastian Barry and writers Jake Arnott and Madeleine Thien to discuss the art of the historical novel, and in a second programme discusses women’s voices in the classical world with Professor Paul Cartledge, Bettany Hughes and Colm Tóibín. The programmes are presented by Radio 3 New Generation Thinkers Sarah Dillon and Catherine Fletcher.

New BBC programming is showcased, with playwright and television screenwriter Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, Doctor Who) talking about his television adaptation of his Olivier Award-winning play King Charles III and the challenges of writing for different mediums; there will be a session with Jimmy McGovern about his new BBC One drama, Broken, starring Sean Bean, and the art of compelling characters in hard-hitting dramas; creators of Waking the Dead, Ian Burney and Barbara Machin, offer insights into what they’ve learnt about murder inquiries while making the show; comedian Simon Amstell presents his feature-length documentary for BBC iPlayer, Carnage; BBC Radio executive producer Sue Roberts and writer Dan Rebellato reveal the highs and lows of bringing Émile Zola’s award-winning Blood, Sex and Money to life as a radio drama; and award-winning film-maker Jill Nicholls discusses her films for the BBC’s flagship arts documentary series Imagine and the art of the literary documentary

BBC One writer and show producer Steven Moffat will be talking about Doctor Who, Sherlock, and the craft of writing, as he prepares to step down from his role as Doctor Who’s lead writer and executive producer later this year.

BBC Two film-makers Adam Low and Martin Rosenbaum talk about their documentary on Alan Bennett to Mark Bell, Head of Commissioning TV Arts BBC, revealing what it was like filming the nation’s best loved writer, with clips from the film, followed by its screening.

BBC Four film-makers offer insights into new series and films: professor of Digital Humanities at Newcastle University, Richard Clay, previews his major new arts series, Utopias; George Carey talks about his fascination with the interlocking worlds of spying and the British establishment and previews unseen footage of his upcoming documentary on Guy Burgess for BBC Four’s Storyville strand; medievalist historian Janina Ramirez offers insights from her new documentary, Julian of Norwich; Nick Willing talks about the challenges of making the documentary on his mother’s life, Paula Rego: Secrets & Stories; and Owen Sheers presents a special screening of BAFTA-nominated The Green Hollow, his film poem commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, followed by a Q&A.

Owen says: “I’m thrilled to be screening The Green Hollow at the Hay Festival. The film was both one of the hardest and most important projects I’ve ever worked on. The aspiration was to create a choral poem in the voice of Aberfan and I hope we’ve gone some way towards achieving that. The generosity and understanding with which the community shared their stories of the disaster and the aftermath was humbling, and the rendering of those voices by the cast and crew deserves to be seen again. Television can be the most ephemeral of mediums, so I’m hugely grateful to the BBC for making it possible for this film to be experienced again and especially pleased that the screening is happening at Hay. Growing up in the area, the Festival was a vital source of inspiration and knowledge for me so it has, I’ve no doubt, played a significant role in my being able to write this piece in the manner I did.”

Renowned surgeon David Nott delivers the sixth annual Patrick Hannan Lecture dedicated to the late BBC Wales broadcaster; BBC Radio Wales will record four shows live on site – Jamie Owen, Eleri Sion, The Arts Show, and The Leak; while BBC Hereford & Worcester presents a series of BBC Introducing sessions offering a taste of the best new music from the region.

Audiences will be offered insights into the creative process as Alison Hindell, Head of Audio Drama for the BBC, discusses the art of the box set; presenter Paddy O’Connell talks about life inside Broadcasting House; and there’s a masterclass on how to get started in the media, featuring a discussion with researchers and producers from radio, television and online.

There’s poetry too, as Manchester-based collective Young Identity present a live set from some of the rising stars of the UK spoken-word scene, with performances by Isaiah Hull, Shirley May, Inna Voice and Chris Jam, plus a reading from novelist Desiree Reynolds.

CBBC's Katie Thistleton will explore the amazing world of children's books and record some special links to be broadcast on the channel as part of CBBC Book Club, which airs on CBBC every Sunday morning and afternoon.

The full Hay Festival programme is available to view online at hayfestival.org. Tickets are bookable online or through the box office on 01497 822 629.

BBC Arts

The BBC has an ongoing commitment to arts programming – “the greatest commitment to arts for a generation” as announced by the Director General in 2014. The BBC aims to provide the broadest range and depth of music and arts programmes across television, radio and online. It creates non-commercial partnerships with the arts sector that go beyond broadcast, from sharing expertise to encouraging cross collaboration and creation in order to widen public engagement in UK arts. It aims to provide context through original, fresh discussion and perspectives and is the biggest investor and creator of original arts and music programming. In 2017 Tony Hall BBC Director General, announced Culture UK, a new approach to collaboration, commissioning and creativity in partnership with Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Arts Council of Wales, the British Council and Creative Scotland. The initiative will develop UK-wide cultural festivals that can reach new audiences, support artist-led commissioning in broadcast and digital media and onvene an R&D programme that will focus on new experiences in performance, live events and exhibitions. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts.

The biggest ever HAYDAYS programme gives young readers the opportunity to meet their heroes and enjoy a feast of activities, while great comedy, music, and The Sound of the Baskervilles, a new late-night club venue, continue celebrations into the night.

The Festival is free to enter, with ticketed events in 10 tented venues, plus a range of exciting sites to explore, including the Festival Bookshop, the HAYDAYS courtyard, arts and crafts in the MAKE and TAKE TENT and the SCRIBBLERS HUT; there are drop-in workshops in the MESS TENT, and market stalls, cafés, and restaurants.

The Festival also runs a wide programme of education work supporting the next generation of writers and culturally hungry audiences of all ages – Hay Festival Wales opens with two days of free programming for schools; the Beacons Project gives students aged 16–18 the chance to learn from internationally acclaimed writers; students in tertiary education get free tickets; and COMPASS is a special space on site to learn and discover, with free access to inspiring speakers.

Founded in 1987 around a kitchen table in Wales, the non-profit organisation brings readers and writers together to share stories and ideas in sustainable events around the world – over the past 30 years there have been 120 Festivals globally.

Thursday, 27 April 2017

The Irish Independent newspaper reports that a man who raped a woman at a 2015 gaming convention will be sentenced later this year.
28 year-old Keith Hearne, pictured right, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one count of oral rape and one count of falsely imprisoning the woman at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Blanchardstown on July 4, 2015. He has been placed in custody until his sentencing. The sentence hearing will take place on June 19.
The woman, Dominique Meehan, had been a volunteer at the ArcadeCon gaming convention, working in the screening room when the attack happened. The festival website carries statements related to the attack, including one by Meehan, who waived her right to anonymity.
In her statement, Meehan said she waived her anonymity because, "No one should have to go through what I went through, and if I had kept my anonymity, Hearne would have been accepted back into the con scene with open arms like he'd been away on holiday. Everyone needs to know that they need to protect themselves from this man, but also that there are people like him in every facet of normal life."
In another statement, Declan Doody, former director of ArcadeCon, said the festival "shut down because one of our own was attacked. The heart of the convention was gone, and there was no coming back from it."
ArcadeCon had described itself as "an Irish convention that brings together Anime, Gaming, Music and Movie fans."

Anchor Bay Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it will release the Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions film on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and Digital HD. The digital version is slated for June 13 and the Blu-ray Disc and DVD will ship on June 27. The release will include both the English and Japanese audio tracks, as well as four featurettes. Eleven Artsscreened the film with an English dub in more than 500 theaters in the United States and Canada beginning on January 27, and offered some subtitled screenings this month. Manga Entertainment and 4K Media open the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland on February 1, 2017.
The original English dub cast returned for the new movie. Voice actorDaniel J. Edwardsportrayed the new character Aigami. Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions opened in Japan in April 2016 on 137 screens, and eventually earned more than 1 billion yen (about US$9 million). The film also received 4DX and MX4D screenings in Japan beginning on September 24

The official website for the Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry anime film announced on Wednesday that the film will open in at least 16 countries besides Japan in May. As of April 26, the countries will be the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, nine countries in Central America and South America, Thailand, and France.
The film will open in Japan on May 6.

Candy Jar Books have released details on the next of their free digital-only stories:

United In BloodWritten by Mark JonesCover art by Richard Young

Blurb: New Year 1970 and Lethbridge-Stewart decides to visit an old school friend. In the village of Aldbury something strange is going on. An unexplained increase of violence spreads across the town, and Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself caught up in the middle of it. So much for a short New Year break!

United in Blood is only available to readers who order the novellas bundle (comprising The Life of Evans, The Flaming Soldier and Day of the Intelligence).

Author Mark Jones was taught how to write a television script by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, and was the co-creator of the Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton TV project, Starwatch. Other credits include writing for the Guinness Encyclopaedia of Popular Music, and penning the bestselling book about the film and TV location, Aldbury (filming location for The Dirty Dozen, The Avengers, Bridget Jones and Midsomer Murders amongst many others). Mark said:

One of favourite TV shows was the ITV programme Shillingbury Tales, a series also filmed in Aldbury. As a location it has always been presented as an idyllic English village, but what if dark forces were at work behind the scenes? My story combines this rural peace with an underbelly of violence.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

I remember reading about Starwatch in Doctor Who Magazine a few years back. So when Mark started working with Candy Jar on a new project, we grilled him about this. During these conversations he pitched an idea for a short story: Shillingbury Tales meets The Tomorrow People, with a hint of Children of the Stones. I told him to go away and write it.

Mark continued:

I wanted the story to feel as much like the early 1970s as possible. I’m old enough to remember how grim it was. In particular I remember how frightening football violence could be. This story transfers the fears of the terraces to a rural village and throws Lethbridge-Stewart into the mix.

The cover art is by Richard Young, who said:

I’ve really enjoyed the detailed work on the novellas, especially as the schedule has been slightly more relaxed. However, I have missed the fun of a tight schedule. And this one was certainly tight! Anyway, nothing brings out creativity better than a tight deadline. I put the artwork together in record time and I am rather pleased with it. It’s like A Clockwork Orange meets Jossey’s Giants.

The e-book is only available to readers who order the novellas bundle. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

People who have ordered the bundle already will automatically get the free story, but I would advise those readers who plan to buy all three to do it as soon possible. We only have fifty bundles left and a handful of copies of the individual titles.

Anime Limited has announced a replacement scheme for its Limited Blu-ray Collector's Edition of Your Lie in April Part 1.
According to Anime Limited, some buyers reported that the digipack which held the two Blu-rays was very difficult to remove from the external pack. 'There was a error during the manufacturing process that resulted in the rigid case being smaller than intended.' For this reason, anyone who bought the title is entitled to a replacement.
The corrected stock is 'now at the correct sizing it was meant to be... The corrected version is slightly taller, and is wider than the original. The corrected version will now have an info sheet that has a pink coloured bar on the side, rather than our traditional Blue that we use. If you have a version that has a Blu-ray info sheet, it means that's an original version and you can get a replacement from us.'
Buyers who ordered the title from AllTheAnime will receive a replacement by default and do not need to apply for a replacement.
Other buyers should send an email with the subject “Your Lie in April Part 1 – REPLACEMENT REQUEST” to jeremy@alltheanime.com, with the following: a copy of an order confirmation or receipt; your full name; your full shipping address; and a photo of your current copy of Your Lie in April Part 1 Blu-ray Collector's Edition, ideally showing the original ‘blue’ info sheet.
Replacements should begin shipping in early May and customers will receive emails confirming when the title is shipped. Anime Limited's goal is to have many or all replacement requests fulfilled by the release of Your Lie in April Part 2 on May 8. The second part will not fit into the undersized Part 1, but will fit into the corrected box.
The corrected version is also available at retailers, and be available soon at AllTheAnime

FUNimation Entertainmentupdated its simuldub page with eight additional Spring season titles this week. The company is also listing an English dub for Brave Witches that will begin on May 8 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. Crunchyroll already streamed the series as it aired in Japan last fall.
The Spring season titles and their premiere times are as follows:

The LINE Manga app revealed on Tuesday that it will release a manga adaptation of Claudia Gray's Lost Stars novel. Yūsaku Komiyama (Avengers: Zombies Assemble, Ixion Saga) is drawing the manga. The series will debut for free in the app on May 4, and a new chapter will debut every other Thursday. This is the time Gray's story will be available in Japanese.
The Star Warsfranchise's official website describes the novel's story:

The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy together to become fighter pilots for the glorious Empire is nothing less than a dream come true for the both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule. Bitter and disillusioned, Thane joins the fledgling Rebellion — putting Ciena in an unbearable position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she's known since childhood.
Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes find a way to be together, or will duty tear them — and the galaxy — apart?

Disney–Lucasfilm Press released the original hardcover edition of Gray's novel as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens book series in September 2015. A paperback edition will ship on August 1.

The app also revealed that it will hold the LINE Manga Star Wars Indies Award 2017 competition to create manga adaptations of the first chapters of Kevin Hearne's Heir to the Jedi and Paul S. Kemp's Lords of the Sith novels.

The campaign is part of the app's LINE Manga Indies program that allows users to submit original manga. The app will accept submissions of at least 12 pages from May 4 to August 31.
Lucasfilm and the competition's selection committee will nominate a list of submitted manga. The app's users will vote for the list of nominees. Lucasfilm and the LINE Manga editorial department will award the Grand Prix award and Lucasfilm Award. The list of nominated works will be announced on October 27, and the voting period will run from October 27 to November 9. The results will be announced on December 1.
The app will release the Grand Prix winner's manga, and the winner will also have their manga published in a physical book. The winner will also get to tour Lucasfilm Studios in San Francisco and receive a 1,000,000-yen (about US$9,000) monetary prize. The Lucasfilm Award winner will receive a custom X-Wing pilot helmet, and the other nominated works will receive a Star Wars Sharbo X pen.
Hearne's novel centers on Luke Skywalker and is set between Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Del Rey released the book in March 2015. Kemp's novel features Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine and is set between the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith film and James Luceno's Tarkin novel. Del Rey released the book in April 2015.

MediaWorks released manga adaptations of the original Star Wars trilogy in 1997 to coincide with the theatrical release of the Original Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, and a manga adaptation of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace followed in 1999. Dark Horse Comics and later Marvel published the manga in English.
The LINE Manga app launched in 2013 and has been downloaded more than 16 million times. The app offers free digital manga and novels

The official website for Bandai Namco Entertainment's Super Robot Wars X-Ω smartphone gamerevealed on Tuesday that it will add the original Daizyujin (known as Megazord and retroactively as Dino Megazord in English) from Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, the series adapted into the first season of Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The robot will be available for a limited time as part of an event in the game in May. Megazord's appearance will mark the first time that a robot from the Super Sentaifranchise or any live-action special-effects television series is available in the game.

To mark the announcement, the game's official Twitter account is holding a campaign from April 26 to May 26. People who follow the account and retweet the campaign tweet will be eligible to receive a Soul of Chogokin Daizyujin toy, which will go on sale in Japan on April 29.

The website also announced that characters and mecha from Getter Robo Go and Jūsō Kikō Dancouga Nova will appear in the game as part of the event.
Mujin Gattai Kisaragi and Harukaiser from The IDOLM@STER anime appeared as part of a limited-time event in February. The game also added Kantam Robo from the Crayon Shin-chan television anime series last year as a limited-time offer. Bandai Namco Entertainment released the smartphone game on iOS and Android devices in October 2015. The robot action RPG features a crossover story with a new scenario written just for the game.

Additionally, the game features two original characters and an original mecha. Bandai Namco Entertainment produced the app, Sega Games' Sega Networks Company developed it, and B.B. Studio supervised and wrote the scenarios.

The BBC have released a number of new publicity images to promote this week's episode of Doctor Who, Thin Ice:

Thin IceWritten by Sarah Dollard and directed by Bill Anderson

In Regency England, beneath the frozen Thames, something is stirring.

The Doctor and Bill arrive at the last of the great frost fairs, and find themselves investigating a string of impossible disappearances - people have been vanishing on the ice! Bill is about to discover that the past is more like her world than she expected, and that not all monsters come from outer space...

The Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi, Bill by Pearl Mackie and Nardole by Matt Lucas.

This Bank Holiday weekend sees Doctor Who sitting between Pointless Celebrities and Casualty, with primary opposition on ITV being Take Me Out and Britain's Got Talent. World Snooker continues on BBC2, whilst Channel 4 serve up The Restoration Man followed by Walking Through Time; Channel 5 will be showing new episodes of two incarnations of NCIS, whilst Sky 1 have The Simpsons followed by Inside the Freemasons, and the Sky Movie Premiere in the time-slot is X-Men: Apocalypse. The previous weeks have seen Doctor Who achieve third place for The Pilot and fourth for Smile, with Britain's Got Talent the most-watched show of both evenings followed by the BBC's All Round to Mrs Brown's - last weekend also had the live FA Cup Semi-Final football game gaining slightly more viewers than Doctor Who, but this weekend doesn't suggest any other surprises ratings-wise!

BBC One continues to show Doctor Who at 7;20pm, with BBC First simulcasting the episode across the Middle-East - see the table below for other broadcasts around the world. Meanwhile, Danish broadcaster DR has now schedueled the series on its DR3 channel, with The Pilot receiving its premiere at 8:00pm CEST on Saturday.